1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates improvements in a magneto-optical recording medium, and an apparatus for recording information on such a recording medium.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
There is known a magneto-optical recording medium which has a magneto-optical storage layer whose local spots are magnetized in one of opposite directions, depending upon information signals to be written. Prior to writing information on the storage layer, it is necessary to erase the previously recorded information, by clearing the magnetization of the storage layer. This erasing step requires an extra time, which is unnecessary in a recording operation on a magnetic disc, wherein information may be overwritten on a previously recorded track.
It is also known to overwrite information on a magneto-optical storage layer, by exposing local spots on the storage layer to a laser beam and subjecting the exposed local spots to a magnetic field which is modulated according to desired information to be written. However, this method suffers from a relatively low recording efficiency, since the maximum frequency at which the direction of the magnetic field can be reversed is comparatively limited.